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Question
Condemns Putin’s attacks on Ukraine and expresses condolences for British national Ryan Evans killed in a Russian missile strike. Questions focus on equipping Ukraine with necessary armaments, advocating for multi-year funding commitments from allies, and defending the legality of Ukrainian operations inside Russia.
Minister reply
Affirms the UK's continued support for Ukraine’s self-defence against Russian aggression, including through defensive actions within Russian territory as a response to illegal invasion. Emphasises prioritisation of armaments supply via appointment of a national arms director, and highlights ongoing collaboration with allies such as Germany and France.
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Question
Inquires about the UK's ability to pressure the US into allowing Ukraine to strike Russian missile sites.
Minister reply
Acknowledges sustained bipartisan US support for Ukraine, with commitments totaling $105 billion. The UK is supportive of ongoing efforts by the US and other nations such as Germany, Romania, the Netherlands, and Italy to provide strategic air defence systems to Ukraine.
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Question
The Foreign Secretary has spoken of his warm relations with the running mate of Donald Trump, J. D. Vance. That is just as well, because Vance said previously that he does not really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another. While Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister is talking about changes to Russia’s doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons, Vance is joking about how Britain is somehow the first “Islamist country” with nuclear weapons. Will the Minister tell the House what efforts the Government are making to rid Vance and some others in the Republican party of the idea that the security of Ukraine and the security of Europe is somehow not important to the security of the United States?
Minister reply
It is clearly not for us in this House to speculate about hypothetical scenarios, and decisions about the US election will of course lie with the American people. I underline to the hon. Member that the UK and the US have been steadfast allies, working closely together on foreign policy issues and defence matters for over a century. That has applied with leaders of all political stripes in the White House and in Downing Street, and with Parliament and Congress as well. We welcome and will continue to welcome sustained bipartisan US support for Ukraine, including passage of the supplemental funding package, which has been key to the international effort.
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Question
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. She touched on stockpiles of armaments and missiles; as she knows, we have had a long-standing problem in that regard. Will she say more about what work is being done now to ensure that those stockpiles are increased and that we can supply more to Ukraine?
Minister reply
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that issue. We will continue to work hard to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself in the face of Putin’s illegal aggression. As I mentioned in my statement, the Prime Minister has committed £3 billion a year in military support for Ukraine until 2030-31, or for as long as is needed. That means that the UK has committed almost £12.7 billion in military, humanitarian and economic support for Ukraine since 2022, but I want to be clear that we are stepping up our military support, including via a new package announced by the Defence Secretary in Odesa in early July—soon after the election—which includes more artillery guns, a quarter of a million ammunition rounds and 90 precision Brimstone missiles, because, as my hon. Friend mentioned, the stockpile is indeed important.
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Question
It seems to me that if you are attacked by a demented bear, you either run away or hit him so hard that he runs away, but the west’s policy on Ukraine appears to be to wound and not win. In that context, will the Government make an unequivocal public statement that Ukraine should be allowed to use Storm Shadow and, more importantly, the US-made army tactical missile system? Then we might actually win this war.
Minister reply
Specifically on Storm Shadow, there has been no change in the UK’s position. We have been providing military aid to support Ukraine’s clear right of self-defence against Russia’s illegal attacks. That has been in accordance with international humanitarian law. We are clear that equipment provided by the UK is intended for the defence of Ukraine.
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Question
As we have heard, the United States will be going to the polls later this year and many in the Republican party are unfortunately expressing scepticism about supporting Ukraine. Will the Minister encourage our colleagues and allies in the United States, as support for Ukraine is vital for our own democracy and security around the world?
Minister reply
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for mentioning that important subject. The UK will continue to work closely with our international partners to ensure that Ukraine gets the support it needs to resist Russian aggression. At the NATO summit in Washington, the Prime Minister announced that the UK-administered international fund for Ukraine will place a new order worth £300 million for 120,000 rounds of ammunition, bolstering Ukraine’s defences against Russia.
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Question
Do the Government have a view on why certain far-right politicians in the United States, Europe and even, dare I say it, Britain seem to have a soft spot for President Putin’s Russia?
Minister reply
The right hon. Member raises an important question. It is clear that Russia’s activity under President Putin’s illegal leadership has included an attack not only on Ukraine but on democratic values and international humanitarian law. I am pleased that we have seen bipartisan support across the House for rejecting that aggression, and I hope that that will continue.
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Question
I welcome the Minister’s words on Ukraine’s activities in Kursk, and I ask her to give the UK Government’s fullest possible support for what is going on there. Last night, Russian missiles hit Kyiv and other major cities. It is vital that the UK takes the lead in partnering Ukraine in the defence of democracy and liberty. What progress are the Government making on completing the 100-year agreement with Ukraine?
Minister reply
I very much agree with my hon. Friend’s comments on the Kursk offensive. As was mentioned, ultimately it is very much a defensive operation—we should not forget that Russia has repeatedly launched attacks on Ukraine from Kursk oblast. I also agree with his comments about recent aerial attacks from Russia. When it comes to rejecting those, we could not be clearer: intentionally directing attacks at civilian objects is a war crime. Those attacks threaten civilian access to power, heating and water supply, impacting the safety and livelihoods of millions of Ukrainians. On the 100-year partnership, we are committed to ensuring that we cement our partnership with Ukraine’s leadership, which started very early on for the new Government. There is an important anniversary coming and we are seeking to mark it with renewed partnership.
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Question
Russian oligarchs close to Putin have numerous assets under UK jurisdiction, equating to nearly £23 billion. Will the Minister commit to acting on a Lib Dem manifesto commitment to begin the process of seizing currently frozen assets in the UK and repurposing them in support of the people of Ukraine, building financial resilience in UK domestic support even if US support were to waver following the US election in November?
Minister reply
I am grateful to the hon. Member for his question. He is right in his implication that we need a robust sanctions regime—this Government are absolutely committed to that. Without sanctions, we estimate that Russia would have over £400 billion more to fund its war for another four years. It is important that we continue with that sanctions regime and do what we can to ensure that it is impossible to circumvent—I believe that his point was about that particular issue.
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Question
I welcome what the Minister said about efforts to tackle the Russian shadow fleet. She will also be aware that an estimated £600 million-worth of refined products of Russian origin have made their way into our economy. Given her answer a moment ago about the need for a robust sanctions regime, what more can she do to crack down on that? The democracy in Kyiv will find it more difficult to win if we are also funding the dictatorship in Moscow.
Minister reply
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that important point. Putin’s shadow fleet softened the blow of our sanctions regime, and it poses serious maritime security and environmental risks. In response, the new Government have already taken decisive action. Earlier this month we sanctioned 11 Russian ships, and almost all sanctioned tankers have ceased trading Russian oil.
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Question
May I follow the excellent point made by the Father of the House, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough (Sir Edward Leigh), on Storm Shadow? There is no third country exercising a veto on how Putin uses long-range missiles, which he uses without compunction even to attack children’s hospitals in Ukraine. Yet the media consistently report that there is an American veto on the Ukrainian use of Storm Shadow missiles to attack targets at depth in Russia, even though that would materially assist the Ukrainian war effort. Will the Minister, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence talk with our American allies to get that veto removed? The Ukrainians are fighting for our freedom too and, two years in, they can no longer be expected to do it with one hand tied behind their back.
Minister reply
As I mentioned previously in this important debate, the UK Government will continue to work with all our allies from all engaged parties, seeking to ensure that we do all we can to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and to enable it to exercise its right of self-defence against Putin’s illegal aggression. As I mentioned, there has been no change in the UK’s position on the matters the right hon. Gentleman specifies. We have been providing military aid to support Ukraine’s clear right of self-defence against Russia’s illegal attacks in accordance with international humanitarian law, and we are clear that equipment provided by the UK is intended for the defence of Ukraine.
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Question
I welcome the strength and detail of the Minister’s statement. My constituents stand very firmly with the people of Ukraine... may I urge her to look at what we can do to redouble our efforts to use assets seized from Russians here in order to support Ukrainians in their fight against tyranny, not just in Ukraine but here in the United Kingdom too?
Minister reply
I very much share my hon. Friend’s deep concern about the human impact of Putin’s illegal war on Ukraine... We estimate that, without sanctions, Russia would have over $400 billion more to fund its illegal war.
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Question
The Minister is of course right to say that who will be the next US President is a matter solely for the American people... Can the Minister reassure the House and the people of Ukraine that this Government are, or soon will be, speaking to our European allies to ensure that, in terms of procurement and engagement, Europe will be prepared to plug any gaps in what Ukraine needs to defend itself should the worst case become a reality after November?
Minister reply
This Government have engaged repeatedly with our allies on the need for continued support for Ukraine... That engagement will continue, and it is critically important for the UK Government.
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Question
I commend the Government for their positive response to the urgent question... What discussions are the Government having with our American counterparts? Will she confirm that a request has been made to the US Administration?
Minister reply
The UK Government have been crystal clear that we will do everything we can to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, and to ensure that it has the equipment it needs to defend its territory from Russia’s illegal invasion... The hon. Gentleman will understand that we will not comment on operational decision making.
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Question
Ukrainian refugees in my constituency have welcomed the continuity of approach to the situation in Ukraine following the change of Government here... How can she make such a commitment, given the concerns about the equipment and ammunition available to our own armed forces?
Minister reply
I am grateful to the right hon. Member for making that critical point... It enables us to secure long-term jobs, long-term contracts, long-term prospects and, indeed, long-term careers for people in our country who work in the defence industries.
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Question
Last week’s attack on Ukraine by Russian missiles and drones was the biggest since the Russian invasion started... Can the Minister make it crystal clear that Ukraine’s right to self-defence must include the ability to target the origin of those missiles and drones, including Russian aircraft in Russian airspace and Russian missile bases?
Minister reply
The right hon. Member is right to condemn the truly appalling attacks that we saw recently... The UK will continue to do everything we can to support Ukraine’s resilience and its defence in this situation.
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Question
We have heard about the role of Russian assets in this country. The Minister will be aware of my concerns about asset ownership in the constituency of Cities of London and Westminster... Does she agree that securing transparency through trust ownership is a really important part of ensuring that we can understand ownership of assets in this country?
Minister reply
I am well aware of my hon. Friend’s leadership on these issues and her long-term commitment to ensuring transparency... We will continue to strengthen our work—including with international partners and allies, and through our role at the UN—to maximise the impact of sanctions.
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Question
Does the right hon. Lady recognise the enormous contribution that the Ukrainian diaspora here in the UK have made to supporting their countrymen... Will she ensure that the Government continue to do everything they can to support such endeavours?
Minister reply
I am very grateful to the right hon. Member for making that incredibly important point... It really is important that the Government continue to work with them so that we get an accurate picture of what is taking place.
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Question
This House should commend the brave Ukrainian forces for the undoubted success of their incursion into Russia’s Kursk region... What military support have the UK Government provided to the Ukrainian armed forces since the general election?
Minister reply
I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that important question... We are also speeding up that support: on 7 July the Defence Secretary announced that we would ensure that the package of military aid that was promised in April under the previous Government, which includes air defence missiles, would be delivered in full to Ukraine within the next 100 days.
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Question
What action are the Government taking with our allies to crack down on sanction dodging... What action are the Government taking with our allies to crack down on sanction dodging, which is leading to critical components for military equipment, including drones, getting into Russia?
Minister reply
This Government are absolutely committed to ensuring that there is no sanction dodging and that we have an effective sanctions regime... Imports from Russia into the UK have fallen by more than 99%, and exports to Russia have fallen by more than 75%.
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Question
The MP congratulates the Minister on both the tone and substance of her response to support for Ukraine, asking why President Zelensky has said that UK’s support had slowed since the election.
Minister reply
The Minister emphasises that the Prime Minister's commitment to £3 billion a year in support to Ukraine is new and clear. She also highlights that the Prime Minister called President Zelensky on his first day in office, with the Defence Secretary visiting Kyiv just hours later.
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Question
The MP asks for a commitment to work with him and other MPs from Lancashire and BAE Systems on how to fill a gap in the production and assembly of Typhoon fighter jets, given that there will be no more assembly of Typhoons next year.
Minister reply
The Minister pays tribute to British workers who ensure essential matériel is delivered to Ukraine. She states that the Defence Secretary would be keen to meet with the MP to discuss these challenges.
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Question
The MP inquires if any contingency planning has been done regarding potential changes in US support for Ukraine under a hypothetical President Trump.
Minister reply
The Minister emphasises the long-standing cooperation between the UK and the US, irrespective of political leadership. She states that the Government will continue to work with allies to ensure continued support for Ukraine.
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Question
The MP thanks the Minister for her confident answers, asking about discussions on ensuring children in Ukraine have access to education and vocational training.
Minister reply
The Minister highlights the difficult situation faced by Ukrainian children due to Russian aggression. She emphasises that the UK is committed to humanitarian support, including education and healthcare services.